Underlying Principle The Sleep Factor 2
by Invader Mel
Summary: Mel goes back to the Zim reality she left, now 25 years old, and tries to renew her life there. Just when things seem they can't get any better...life swings into utter chaos.
1. Chapter One

Chapter One: Different Diffusion

     "...And so concludes my Space-Time Alternate Shift Hypothesis. There. That should be a good thesis topic: The Dynamics of Inter-Dimensional Physics. Hmm...I wonder if...nah, it couldn't be...could it? I've got to check this out..." Mel, now an adult, pulled out her notebook and began to work out mathematical calculations, comparing formulas and diagrams, until she came upon something interesting.

     _'Hmm...according to the Inter-Dimensional Matter Shift Theory from when I was in fourth grade, these shifts in realities occur within regular intervals. But they rarely lead into a universe that even approaches being drastically different, and even then, there's no way of controlling it. However, this Matter Displacement Property seems intriguing, and deserves a closer look...'_

     "Oh, wow...this might be it. This might be it! Irkens! Seraul! Prepare to die!" Thrusting the marble Lizaq knife out of her desk drawer, she stabbed through the desk, breaking it in two. "I hope the warranty is still good on that." Jotting down some notes, she compared the many notebooks with one another, breathing in excitement. "YES! THIS IS IT! I'VE FOUND A GATEWAY INTO A SPECIFIC ALTERNATE REALITY!" The person from the apartment next-door yelled something about being quiet when it was 2:00 in the morning, but she didn't care.

     Grabbing her coat and a box labeled "Memories", she dashed outside and ran through the city until reaching her final destination--the library. It happened to be open, for reasons unknown, and she scanned through it in search of the computer station. Logging onto the Internet, she looked up her old fanfiction--actually a record of her events, though that was unknown to the rest of the world--and hooked her laptop into it. She downloaded the story, while a program formatted the words into raw data. When the process was complete, she typed some codes and mathematical equations into the program and placed two electrode-like things on either side of her head. Everything blurred, flashed in blue light, and then the setting of the library fell from beneath her feet. Feeling as though she were to vomit from the motions of being tossed through space and time, her physical being seemed to split into two, and she found herself at the foot of Zim's door. She collapsed from exhaustion, and Zim rushed out to see what the noise was.

     "M-M-Mel?! What are you doing here?! I thought you were...you were..." Picking her up, he carried her inside and set her on the couch. When she came to, he questioned her. "How is it that you're alive? I thought you were dead the whole time!"

     "What? No, no...I just entered this reality through my sleep, but I was woken up and had to leave."

     "You're back? After all these years?"

     "Yeah. Twelve, to be precise. The door to other dimensions has always been there. I just found the key."

     "So you have. But how do you plan to get back? You only have a box with you. Does that contain what you need to get back?"

     "Oh, no...I forgot about that. It looks like I'm stuck here...forever."

     "Why don't we just find a computer and hook you up to it, saying that we want you to go back home."

     "I can't do that, Zim. There's no information source here about the reality I come from."

     "Mel, you _are _an information source!"

     "Oh...I forgot about that. Well, when I am ready to leave, we'll do that. But Zim, first you must tell me if there are any surviving humans, and if so, where are they?"

     "Yes, there are. The Falish military picked up all surviving humans and transported them to a secret place there. They now have disguises to look like Falens, and they can't be told apart."

     "Is there any kind of list for contacting them or something like that?"

     "Yes. I happen to have it right here with me." Zim pulled a folder out of his PAK and handed it to Mel. "Here you go."

     "Hmm...interesting. Gretchen survived...of course Gaz did, but I didn't know she joined the humans...wait, it says that Gretchen has a son."

     "So? She's twenty-four Earth-years old; she probably found a human companion for herself."

     "No...it says that her son is about eleven years old."

     "That's not normal of humans, is it?"

     "No...strange. Wait, it says that the child's father is...is..."

     "Who?"

     "Dib...but that's impossible. Are you sure that they didn't really do anything on the night of the skool dance?"

     "Of course I'm sure! I'm sorry for lying to you that time, too."

     "Apology accepted...how can this be? They couldn't have met later, because I even set fire to him after he died; you saw it with your own eyes."

     "Maybe it's because the Falish reproduce by kissing."

     "Zim, you fool! Why on Earth did you not tell me that before we started theorizing one what could've happened?"

     "I wanted to see what you'd come up with."

     "Ugh...geez, Zim, why'd you have to do that? Suppose that Dib and I really did like each other like that? Then that'd always be there to haunt us. You would've ruined our lives."

     "Uh...sorry."

     "Yeah, nice little prank. Ew, I can't believe that I came close to kissing him! Thank goodness for your prank! So Gretchen has a Falen/human son, and...Zim, there's a little girl standing in the hallway."

     The girl spoke, "I'm not little! I'm eleven years old!"

     "Right you are," Zim said. "Kiana, why don't you come here?" The child approached the table. She had large, silver-gray eyes, pale skin with a greenish tint, short, black hair with a light pink bow, and she was almost Zim's height. Her dress was Irken-style plum purple, and she wore a pair of black pants. "Mel, this is my daughter, Kiana. Normally Irkens don't reproduce in a way you'd consider normal, but...this is an exception. She was born on this planet because her mother requested it. Her mother was human, since you're probably wondering that right now."

     "Dad, can I play on the Voot simulator?"  
     "No, not right now. I want you to meet my friend, Mel. You are to address her as 'Kiana' or as 'Mysterious One'. Do you understand?"

     "Yes, father. But why does she have to have my name?"

     "I don't know. Two people have never been given the same name in the Old Language before, but you do have the same name."

     "Yes, father. Can I go on the Voot simulator now? Please..."

     "Oh, okay. Just make sure you aren't late for dinner!"

     "Okay!" She ran into the back of the house, disappearing from sight.

     "Wow, Zim, I never really pictured you as a father figure before."

     "Well, I am. Isn't she sweet?"

     "Yes. I look forward to getting to know her."

     "How long do you plan to stay here?"

     "I don't know. Long enough to catch up on how your life is going and maybe...nah, never mind."

     "What is it?"

     "I said 'never mind.'"

     "Tell me."

     "Well...okay. You may think that it's a little ridiculous, but...before Dib died, we made plans for a school about the paranormal. I was thinking about maybe setting that up, you know, as a kind of dedication to his memory. Oh, what am I saying? That's impossible."

     "Maybe not. I'm in power, here. I've made my way up to the top on Earth, and you may present your plans in front of the Board of Education in our next council meeting."

     "Oh, thank you, Zim! That would be fantastic! When's the next meeting?"

     "A week from Thursday."

     "I'd better start working on those plans, then!"

     "You mean you haven't done so already?"

     "Uh...no."

     "I'll help you, if you'd like."

     "Okay, but what about teachers? Are any Irkens familiar with psychokinetic occurrences and how to deal with a poltergeist incident or anything having to do with parapsychology?"

     "Explain to me what you just said."

     "Which words do you not understand?"

     "Psychokinetic, poltergeist, and parapsychology."

     "Um...I guess that answers my question."

     "What are you going to do about it?"

     "I'll teach the parapsychology course, and we'll find some knowledgeable Irken to teach astrobiology."

     "Astrobiology?"

     "The study of alien life."

     "Oh...well, I am quite informed on a variety of species..."

     "Do you really think you're up to being a teacher?"

     "That depends."

     "On what?"

     "On whether you think I've the credentials for it."

     "Start drawing up a lesson plan."

Author's Note: You can hope all you want, but Mel and Dib are NOT having kids! I shudder at the thought!


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Challenging Circumstance

     "So, Zim, how's that lesson plan coming along?" Mel asked, walking into Zim's workroom.

     "Good...I'm trying to see how I can fit a whole lifetime's worth of knowledge into one year of teaching, though."

     "You don't necessarily have to fit it into one year, you know. You can make it take as many years as you'd like, though hopefully not too many, or people won't bother to go through all the courses."

     "Yes, there's that. Mel, do you ever feel guilty because you know that you...killed...Dib?"

     "Yes. Lots of times. It gets intense, sometimes. I never thought I could kill even my worst of enemies, let alone my best friend."

     "How would you feel better?"

     "If he was alive, I guess. Why are you asking me this?"

     "I don't want my friend to be sad."

     "You don't sound like yourself, Zim. You're...caring."

     "Destroying Earth and ending up having a daughter with a human changed me a lot more than you might think. Now, goodnight."

     "Goodnight, Zim."

     Morning. Mel turned the alarm off and fumbled for her glasses, eventually finding them and placing them over her eyes. She walked into the kitchen and began to fix her breakfast. Zim surprised her, and she fell out of her chair.

     "Ow! Zim, why'd you sneak up on me like that?!"

     "I'm sorry. I was just excited."

     "About what, dare I ask?"

     "About a special surprise I have in store for you."

     "What kind of surprise?"

     "Just go to the door and open it."

     "Oh, all right. This better be good for me to have nearly broken my spine over." Standing up, she walked to the door and put her hand on the knob. She hesitated.

     "What's that matter? Hurry, open it!"

     "I'm shaking, Zim. Why am I shaking? I'm afraid to open this door."

     "There's no reason to be afraid, human! Open it!"

     "Well...okay." Twisting the knob, she closed her eyes and flung the door open. She fainted promptly. A boy of about eleven or twelve years stood before her, with jet black hair and glasses, along with black boots, a black coat, and a blue shirt. He looked _exactly_ like Dib.

     "Mel! Mel! What's wrong with you? Why aren't you happy?" Quickly coming out of it, she shot straight up, and there he was.

     "This...this is impossible. I killed Dib twelve years ago!"

     "Yes, I know. This is what you'd call his 'apparition,' or 'ghost,' if you prefer."

     "Is he...solid?"

     "Yes. That he is." She walked up to him and held his hand. In that instant, her appearance changed into that of her younger self.

     "I cannot believe that you are...here. I thought I'd never see you again. I can't believe I killed you."

     He thought to her, "Thank you," and disappeared. Mel turned back into her adult self.

     "How do you like my surprise?" She was speechless.

     "I cannot thank you enough." Zim noticed some tears coming down from her eyes.

     "Oh, no, you're eyes are leaking again." He put a finger to her eye, wiping the tears off. Fighting off the pain, he placed them on his own eyelids. This was significant, for Mel created the symbolism of Earth tears and knew its meaning. He was saying that he was human.

     "You can't call yourself Irken anymore, can you?"

     "Not really. I have an Earth daughter and an Earth friend, and I care about you two in spite of this. That is not the Irken way."

     "Zim...I just wanted to say that..."

     "I understand what you mean."

     "Good. Is Young Kiana ready yet?"

     "She should be. Kiana! Come here! We're going on a trip!"

     "Really?" she asked as she fell through a shoot and onto the kitchen floor. "Where?"

     "Mel and I are going to present the plans for a school at the Global Council today."

     "I can finally come?"

     "Sure. It'll be good for you to learn what goes on."

     "Yay! I'll go get my things!" As she ran back to the tile that would elevate her to her attic room, Mel noticed that she didn't have an ID PAK.

     "Zim...I just saw something...your daughter doesn't have a PAK."

     "Yeah...her mother insisted that she doesn't have one."

     "So she's an Irken without a PAK?"

     "She's _the_ Irken without a PAK."

     "Whoa...trippy."

     "Let's go now. Do you have everything?"  
     "Yeah. I think so."

     "Then let's go." At the Global Council Meeting, which Zim's second-in-command officer was in charge of, there was a bit of disturbance at the idea of halting a popular snack's production due to the fact that there were too many side effects to eating it.

     "Next issue is...Zim and Kiana, who have come to discuss something with the Board of Education." The Board of Health exited, and the Board of Education walked in, taking their seats. Zim and Mel walked in, followed by  Kiana. They drew attention, mostly because Zim's daughter didn't have a PAK and it appeared that Zim was entering with Mel as his girlfriend.

     "Zim, they think that I am...involved...with you. Tell them otherwise, before I make a fool out of myself."

      "Okay," he whispered. Then, shouting, he said, "Nope, she's not my girlfriend! She's still available!"

     "Zim!" she scolded harshly.

     "Uh...so you're proposing a school for the study of the...paranormal...but you don't have any money to spend, is that it?" the Irken in charge asked.

     "Uh, yes. And, actually, as Zim is leader of this planet, he _does_ have money to spend, but it is up to the Board of Education to decide if the project is of enough importance in your eyes to take the funding required out of the treasury."

     "Before we can determine whether or not your project is worthy enough for us to spend our precious dollars on, what exactly _is_ this subject, anyway?"

     "In short, the paranormal is anything that appears to defy 'normal' explanation, thus the name. However, I don't consider anything that is deemed paranormal to be truly unusual, it is just that we need to study it and acknowledge it before we can understand what is really going on. After all--if it's existed all this time, it must be a natural thing, right? I think it is important to learn the true nature of these things, for it will better our understanding of the universe and how things function."

     "I see...how will this advance the Irken Empire as a whole?"

     "Well, with knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding comes success. To inform potential invaders and Irkens of other professions is to increase the productivity of the Empire, and to increase the productivity is to further the species' advancement. I'm sure that the way in which this occurs is pretty much self-explanatory to your superior intellect, for I am well aware that I'm just a human."

     "And what exactly is your name, inferior surviving human?"

     "My name...was Mel. Now it's Kiana. Mysterious One. Only my friends address me as Mel."

     "And now, Mysterious One, what is the name of your child?"

     "May I have permission to correct you on one point?"

     "Permission granted."

     "This child is not mine. She is Zim's, and her name is also Kiana. She is also known as Mysterious One."

     "Was your name derived by the Falish way?"

     "Yes."

     "Was her name derived by the Falish way as well?"

     "Yes." Gasps were heard, saying that it was impossible, that it could not be.

     "Quiet! Then, which one of you is the Kivoc?"

     "Both of us."

     "What?"

     "We both are Kivocs. I can tell by her manner of doing things, of talking, of walking, of even eating. Where is your Lizaq, Young Kiana?"

     "I don't have one," she said.

     "You will need it. Take mine."

     "But a Lizaq knife is designed to only be effective when used by the person it is given to."

     "Do not let that stop you. Take mine." Kiana took the shimmering blade of the Lizaq and tried to make a cut in her skin, but nothing happened. "You must _want_ to use it. You do not _want_ to pierce your skin, and that's why it will not cut." Slowly lifting it so that it was level to her head, she aimed for Mel and sliced her hand open.

     "It worked...It actually worked..." Zim snatched the knife from his daughter's hand and put it away into his ID PAK.

     "Kiana!" Zim yelled. "We'll discuss this when we get home! You too, Mel!" A guard walked over to Zim's side, whispering something. "No, I _do not _want Mel eliminated! She'll be confined to my house, though. If you catch her outside without me, then take her to the local prison and notify me so I can bail her out. I don't want her to leave my base! Now, take her to hospital quarters and fix her wound. I order that this meeting be postponed until next week. You're dismissed!" Dragging Young Kiana with him, Zim followed Mel to hospital quarters.

     "Zim, what's going on?" Mel asked.

     "What do you mean, 'what's going on'? You just handed my eleven-year-old daughter a deadly weapon that she is able to use!"

     "I'm just concerned for her safety! She'll be in danger, and she needs a means to protect herself! I request the permission to teach her how to use her mind to psychokinetically effect her surroundings."

     "No! You aren't going to be teaching her anything! My daughter is not going to get involved in any of this!"

     "I'm concerned for her! I'm concerned for her as though she were my own!"

     "I don't believe that!"

     "She's angry toward me, Zim. She resents me. Why else do you think she chose me as her target? But in spite of this, I care about her. She's in danger, Zim! If you care about her, you'll allow me to help her!"

     "Mel, you're not going to do this! My daughter isn't going to get involved in any of this ika prophecy nonsense!" Breaking free of his grip, she kicked him in the squeedily spooch and began to strangle him. Guards aimed their ray guns at her, but she didn't stop.

     "Don't you DARE refer to the Falish in such a derogatory manner!"

     "If I wanted, I could have my guards kill you with the snap of my fingers."

     "You don't want to, though, do you?"

     "Guards...it's okay. You can go."

     "Are you certain?" one asked. "Because we can--"

     "I said go!" Mel relaxed her grip on Zim's neck as they shrunk back.

     "Have you not matured since I last saw you? Dib was a Falen, you MORON! You acted as though you were sensitive to my emotions regarding his death!"

     "Which you CAUSED, if I am not mistaken! Your misery is your own doing! Admit it! The Irkens did not kill your precious friend! YOU DID! You really are a traitor, you Kivoc filth!"

     "I was forced to kill him to avoid him being pained any longer."

     "I could've easily gotten him out of there. You two could be laughing together right now, if you had wanted it. You didn't want it."

     "I just thought...I thought I was doing what was best for him."

     "You very well may have. Keep that in mind."

     "It's my fault, though. If I had never come here..."

     "If you had never come here, he would've died in sadness. You were his friend. Don't beat yourself up about that."

     "I have to blame myself. I killed him, and this is my punishment. It may be a torment to have caused the death of those innocent but those of whom you hate rather than your best friend. You cannot know the guilt I feel."

     "Yes, I can. I killed my wife, even though by accident. I crashed my Voot when she was in it with me, but those _idiot paramedics_ had to save _me_! She died because they couldn't get to her in time. They managed to save Kiana, though. I _do_ care for her; she is precious to me. That is something you cannot understand."

     "I had no idea, Zim. What was your wife's name?"

     "Terri. I loved her."

     "Whoa, that sounds strange coming from you. Hey, you know that girl you went to the skool dance with twelve years ago?"

     "Uh, sort of."

     "Well, according to that list you gave me, she's still single. Oh, and do you like kids?"

     "Does she have a lot?"

     "No, just one."

     "Oh. You can call her to come over, I guess. She always told me to find someone else if anything happened to her. I think I'm ready."

     "Okay. What day and time?"

     "Uh...Saturday, I guess."

     "Saturday? Great. What time?"

     "Maybe...6:00."

     "Okay. I'll make the arrangements. Oh, and I'll volunteer to baby-sit the kids."

     "I thought you said she has one."

     "She does, but I'm going to take care of Young Kiana as well."

     "Oh, thank you."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Warring Species

     Gretchen had been living on Fali for about twelve years now, and was now twenty-four Earth years old. Her son, who she named after Dib, was currently reading about how Earth used to be from a Falish book. She now was of average height, her purple hair had grown out long, and she no longer required braces. Young Dib looked the perfect image of his father, with black hair that spiked backward, a pair of glasses, and the same brown eyes. He wore a black shirt and a dark green overcoat along with black pants and boots.

     "Mom?" he asked. "Why didn't Dad survive the invasion like you did?"

     "At the time of the invasion," she began, "he was here on Fali. I remembered what he had said in class about the coming of the Irkens and ran out to hide in the forest. I found a cave by a small stream, and that's where the Falish officials picked me up, saying that my survival was important. So, they saved me from there just before it was blown up."

     "Then wouldn't be still be here, safe?"

     "No. After the planet was ruined and very few were left, he went back to save the girl that he went to the dance with. That's when the military from the Falish, Seraul, and Irkens found him in the cave with her. She killed him, and they still don't understand why."

     "Why would someone do that?"

     "Obviously his precious little girlfriend has some kind of twisted, deranged mind. She stabbed him three times. 'Once to get the job done, then twice more just for fun,' goes the old saying."

     "Wait, _has_? She's not still alive, is she?"

     "We don't know. A defective Irken saved her from them."

     "What is his name?"

     "Zim. The new ruler of planet Earth."

     "I swear, if I ever got my hands on that girl and that Zim, I'd...I'd kill them!"

     "Me too. Me too, son."

-Planet Earth: Friday-

     Mel woke up feeling dizzy, and wondered at the cause. She sought Zim's sleeping quarters and gently nudged him, trying to see if he would get up. "Zim," she whispered, "get up. I think you should know something." He continued to snore, and she shook him harder. "Zim, get up! Get up!" Nothing. "Fine. I guess I'll have to do this the hard way." Retrieving a wet washcloth, she wrung it out over him. A sizzling was heard, and he awoke screaming.

     "What on Earth was that for?!"

     "You sleep like a rock, Zim. I wouldn't be surprised if the planet blew up and you never even noticed."

     "I'm awake now. Why did you disturb the mighty Zim's slumber?" he asked irritably.

     "Young Kiana. She's going to be in danger."

     "How would you know?"

     "Well, I _have _had a knack for knowing this kind of thing. Please, give her the Lizaq now."

     "No! My eleven-year-old daughter is _not_ going to be carrying around an ika's death toy!"

     "What was that you said, Zim?"

     "Uh...nothing."

     "I heard it, Zim. You referred to the Lizaq knife as an ika's death toy! What do you know about the Lizaq?!"

     "It's not anything about the Lizaq...it's about you."

     "Elaborate."

     "You associate with the Falish as though you were one of them!"

     "So what? You associate with us humans as though you were one of us!"

     "The Falish...they're a different story. I told you long ago that the males prey on the females, right?"

     "Yeah. I looked that up. It's a rare practice that is almost nonexistent now."

     "That's just propaganda! Anyway, the Falish have a habit of killing those they love. You're a Falish monster. I've only been able to stand being around you for this much because you annihilated the Dib, but you're growing attached to me. You've a sick mind, and you only say that you were trying to ease his pain as an excuse so you don't have to admit to yourself the horror you've committed! You horrible ika! Stay away from me and stay away from my Kiana!"

     "No, wait, Zim, you don't understand, I...you see, the reason I killed him...he asked me to! You told me to! You both wanted me to kill him! I was just following your instructions!"

     "Don't try to deny it, ika. You may be human on the outside, but you're just as twisted as them on the inside. I can't believe I once deemed you as worthy to be an invader!"

     "Zim, I--"

     "Admit it! They would've killed you if you hadn't shocked them by killing him! His death was just a diversion so you could get away!"

     "You couldn't have it more wrong!"

     "And cancel that date-thing you set up! I would never even consider any ika filth you chose for me!"  
     "I deny your accusations!"

     "I'll have security come and pick you up. I'll have them kill you, traitor. That is what you are, of course. You stabbed your best friend in the back by putting a blade through his heart."

     "Then fine. It'll put an end to my suffering. Or extend it. Either way. Whatever I deserve, I deserve."

     "Face it however you like! Your death draws near, but I think I'll give the pleasure of destroying this ika filth to myself."

     "Then go ahead and do it! Don't prolong my existence if I'm just going to end up being shot anyway! But I think it is only right of me to remind you something, just in case you fall into the same trap I did. If you killed me, you'd be doing the same thing I did. You'd be killing your best friend. Stabbing me in the back."

     "No ika has the title of being my friend."

     "I can't let you do this to yourself. I can't let you kill me and live with it for the rest of your life. I must kill you. It will worsen my pain and lessen yours. I'm taking a bullet for you Zim, though you may not comprehend it now. As you should know by now, it gives me no pleasure to kill. Only sadness. Now, give me the Lizaq, before I take it from you."

     "You can't take it from me. It's in my PAK, and that in itself is a complete arsenal." She concentrated hard, and soon the Lizaq knife materialized in her hand. "How did you do that?"

     "I'm a Kivoc, remember, Zim? A Kivoc, a hated monster, a killer. An ika, as you put it. Whatever you call it, that's what I am. And I've got to stop your daughter from taking this path. It would ruin her forever. These powers are what I've desired much of my life. They've just turned on me. I'm confined to misery because of it. You and your daughter cannot live like that, and Dib's son cannot either. I may never be acknowledged for it, but I'm saving your lives."

     "I just have to call security, and they'll kill you on the spot!"

     "No one's coming. You're not doing anything." She lunged, pinning him to his bed. Unsheathing the Lizaq, she pressed it against his neck, and he made squealing noises protesting against it.

     "Please! Don't do it! You were such a sweet girl! Do you think Dib would like that you're doing this? Taking this road to being some sort of homicidal maniac? Don't do it! Please! I'm sorry that I called you an ika! I know you don't kill for pleasure! You're just misguided! I can help you!"

     "You won't help me. You aren't that kind of person. You'd have me executed, or worse--locked up. I'm not going to have that happen. It cannot happen."

     "Don't do this! You said yourself that killing causes more misery and pain!"

     "I know that. I'm already gone."

     "No, you're not! Don't kill me! I won't hurt you. I swear on the Tallest that I am being truthful."

     "I can't release you. Your life must be ended. It is because of you that Dib is dead! You sought to destroy this planet!"

     "You can't place me to blame entirely! You could blame the Irken race for existing, or you could blame space travel for allowing me to come here! You could say that it's the fault of Riva for keeping Dib on Earth! He'd be alive if it weren't for that, wouldn't he? But this is all out of our control! The fact is that he's dead! You just have to accept it!"

     "I know, but...it's so hard. To think that he died because of me...I can't imagine it."

     "So you've found yourself a scapegoat?"

     "I guess you could put it that way."

     "Do you want to put the knife down, now?"

     "No, of course not."

     "Why?"

     "I just want to draw a little blood. As a warning."

     "Are you sure about that?"

     "No, I'm just joking. Really, though, it is a nice change in pace where you're completely helpless. I like it. Now, compliment me."

     "Uh...you look...nice."

     "Why, thank you, Zim. How very touching. Now, do a happy dance."

     "I will not!"

     "Oh, I think you will."

     "Oh...okay."

     "I'm kidding about that too. Let's eat breakfast."

     "Wait, didn't you just say that Kiana's life is in danger?"

     "I forgot all about that!" They darted into her room, but nothing was wrong. Mel woke her up, and the little girl yawned.

     "Is it time for my Invader's Training yet?"

     "No. Not yet."

     "I'm scared."  
     "Why are you scared?"

     "I saw something in my dreams. There was this boy, and Dad referred to him as some name I can't remember. He was killed, and you were crying over him. I felt a strange sadness, too. Do you have a son?"

     "No. But I know a friend that has a son."

     "Is this friend the one you killed?"

     "Kiana, how do you know I killed my friend? Did you hear one of us talk about it?"

     "No. I just knew. You've been fretting about it since you got here."

     "To answer your question, yes. I killed Dib."

     "Dib...that was his name!"

     "Could you have seen the cave incident in your dream?"

     "Maybe...it sure wasn't on Fali."

     "Maybe it was Dib's son you saw in your dream."

     "No! You called him Dib, and Dad called him...I don't remember...Cah, or something."

     "Ika!" Zim slapped a hand over Mel's mouth.

     "Don't speak in front of my daughter with that language!"

     "But Zim, you say it! Why can't I?"

     "Let's just say that it's about the equivalent of the 'f' word to you humans."

     "Uh...sorry."

     Young Kiana looked up at Zim. She said, "What does 'ika' mean?"

     "Now look what you've done!" Mel chuckled nervously. "You see, Young Kiana, that word means...well...it's a very bad word."

     "Bad? Okay, then my vegetables are ika! Except for that one puffy thing. I like that."

     "No! I mean that...it means..."

     "Don't worry, Dad, I'm just kidding around with you. I know what ika means."

     "YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AND YET YOU STILL USE IT?!"

     "Uh-huh. But don't refer to my future friend in that way, please."

     "What are you talking about?"  
     "Dib--the kid from my dream--is going to be my friend in the future."

     "Not that ika! Kiana, you're too good for him!"

     "And she isn't?"

     "That's different! You're my daughter, and you're not going to associate with that ika filth!"

     "You seem to use that word pretty comfortably around me now, father."

     "That's because I'm mad!"

     "Really? We should get you fitted for a straightjacket, then."

     "Don't speak to me in such a way!"

     "Okay. I won't. Sorry." Zim picked her up and hugged her; Mel felt out of place and wanted to hug that young Irken like she was her own child. Young Kiana quickly ate breakfast and went into her room.

     "Mel, I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

     "What?"

     "You can't stay here. They're passing a law where anyone who isn't Irken can't stay on the planet."

     "Oh...what about..." she looked around to see if Young Kiana was there, "...hybrids?"

     "Just pure Irkens will be allowed."

     "What about Young Kiana? She looks Irken enough."

     "No...they do a bio-scan. Even if there's just one non-Irken from several generations back, you're thrown off of the planet."

     "Then we'll both be leaving?"

     "I'm afraid so. I can't leave, though, even if I wanted to. I'm stuck here on planet Earth as ruler."

     "So..."

     "Take good care of my daughter."

     "When do we leave?"

     "They'll be here any minute to do an inspection. You must go to Seraul."

     "What? Seraul? Heck, no! I'm going to Fali! Your daughter will be safer there!"

     "No, she won't! Fine, then! If you insist on going to Fali, you won't have custody of her! She'll go to Seraul on her own!"

     "Can she fly a Voot?"

     "Better than you. She's a natural. It's in her blood."

     "And it's in MY blood to kick your--hey, what's that noise?"

     "I...I don't know. It's probably the Irken officials! They'll kill me if they find out that I have a daughter with human blood!"

     "You'll just have to TRUST me, Zim. Please! Planet Seraul is a planet of assassins! Just trust me on this one, Zim. Please. Your daughter depends on it! This _universe_ depends on it!"

     "All right, take her to that filthy ika planet of yours."

     "Good! Kiana! Young Kiana! We must leave! Now!"

     "I'm in the Voot hangar!"

     "We must go! Goodbye, Zim. Be sure to keep in touch with me, or I'll cut out your filthy insides!"

     "Goodbye, Mel! May your pitiful human guts explode!"

     "I'll remember that!" She met Young Kiana in the Voot hangar and she flew the ship out on a path towards Fali.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Falish Colony

     "Where are we going?"

     "Planet Fali."

     "Really? How'd you swing that? Dad **_HATES_** the Falish."

     "Yes...I know that. I got him to trust me."

     "He always says, 'they should just kill off all that ika garbage and rid the universe of them.'"

     "Kiana! Don't use the 'i' word!"

     "Dad uses it all the time, though!"

     "Still, it's not good. You'll have to be nice."

     "Aw! Why do I always have to be 'nice'?"

     "Because that's what's best. If you start saying that word everywhere you go, you're going to be public enemy number one."

     "Are you going to be my mother?"

     "What? No, not really. But I will be taking care of you."

     "How long?"

     "Well...until the Irkens change that law where any non-Irken can't be on Earth."

     "Is that going to be long?"

     "I don't know that, Young Kiana. I just don't know." _'I feel a strong bond with this child somehow. She's connected with an external energy source, the same one as I. Perhaps that is why she knows some of my past and has my name.'_

     "You're guilty, Mom," she said. These words reverberated in her mind, and she thought to herself that the child was mistaken, but she knew otherwise.

     "How is it that you are my daughter?"

     "You've known it the whole time."

     "Yes, but how?"

     "Irkens are born in tubes, am I correct?"

     "Yes."

     "He probably tampered with DNA or something."

     "What about his wife, though?"

     "I was born a year after her death. I was genetically engineered."

     "Then why don't you have an ID PAK?"

     "I've got human genes in me, and I would not live with a PAK."

     "I see...how did he get my DNA?"

     "Easy. He got it from the bloodstained knife he tried to kill you with."

     "Why me?"

     "He could tell that you were not the one from the ancient prophecies, so he tried to produce the one who _was_ told of. He knew that if I were to have the name Kiana, I'd have to descend from you."

     "To what planet are you a Kivoc?"

     "Irk. I've much distaste for my kind, as you know. They'll train me to be an invader, and I will be--I'll invade them right off their planet!"

     "Why do you hate the Irkens?"

     "Simple. My father manipulated you to kill your friend, and he will try to manipulate me into making it worse for you so you can't interfere."

     "That's not true! Zim is sensitive to me!"

     "It's not his doing. It's the Irken officials. They're forcing him to do this." She swore.

     "We're going to Fali. There are some nice humans there, and I need to know something."

     "Does this concern your friend?"

     "Yes. As a matter of fact, it does."

     "You're shaking. Why are you shaking?"

     "I'm afraid I will not be able to succeed." They traveled the rest of the way in silence, and they landed by the end of the day at the Human Colony. They entered, and were directed to stand in the cafeteria room. It was vast, with sky blue walls surrounding them. Most humans had been given new clothes, and they now looked healthy. Among them, Mel saw a boy of about eleven years with black hair, glasses, and familiar eyes. Tears coming down from her eyes, she tore past the other people and embraced him. A swish of metal was heard, and the tip of a sword met Mel's neck. Looking up, she saw an adult Gretchen scowling down at her.

     "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you."

     "Because I'm the only person who can save your son." Staring her down, she slowly withdrew the blade and hid it away.

     "Why did you kill Dib?!"

     "It's not as it seems!"

     "Then how is it?!"

     "I killed him because I could not allow him to live in the pain and torment he was going to live. He told me to kill him! Zim told me to release him of his misery! Everyone was screaming at me to kill him, and it was what I felt right!"

     "How dare you let personal feelings determine whether someone lives or dies!"

     "I was young! I had no idea of what my Kivoc powers could do to me! They gave me the ability to kill, but I did not want it! I was manipulated!"

     "No excuse! You're responsible for what you did, and only you! Murderer!"

     "True. That I am."

     "Then you admit it?"

     "I cannot deny that I killed him. But you must understand my reasons. I wanted to break that barrier between life and death. To be able to prove to myself, once and for all, that I would not let the limitations of this physical world fool me! I know that he's dead on this level of reality! The challenge is knowing that he's not truly dead! Just his form. I spoke with him just recently."

     "Don't get near my son!"

     "I need to know him! It is because of his father that I am alive! We would _both_ be dead if it weren't for him!"

     "As you well should be!"

     "Please, don't cut me out! I came here to visit him and save his life! If I messed up with his father's life, I at least want to help save his!"

     "All right. Tell me of this danger."

     "I do not know exactly what it is. I must...I must stop it...the snacks...the...the...death...KIANA!" She collapsed, and awoke with Young Kiana slapping her face.

     "What's wrong?"

     "I just had a vision. Where's Gretchen?"

     "Her and the boy went into their room."

     "Do you know what room?"

     "839-A."

     "Then that's where we're going. Come along!" Dragging her behind, they headed for complex A and searched for room 839. Knocking did not work, so she took the Lizaq knife out and stabbed at the lock. It broke, and she marched inside. "Where is your son?"  
     "Dib Jr. went to the library again. Now, what's this urgent matter?"

     "It is a vision I just had, depicting--"

     "The little tokage is leaving," Gretchen said, pointing to Kiana.

     "Don't call her that! I can see that you've picked up some of the language that's thrown about in space. Besides, she can take care of herself. I'm sure that my Lizaq knife is already gone."

     "But she can't use it."

     "Oh, but she can. We share the same name."

     "Quit stalling and tell me how my son is in danger."

     "The same threat that's been lurking for the past twelve years."

     "You mean...?"

     "Yes. Invasion."

     Kiana searched the library, finally coming across Dib. He was reading out of a history book entitled "Earth: Ocean Waters and Snowy Peaks" and didn't look up to acknowledge her presence.

     "Dib?" He didn't look away from his book. "Dib. Look at me." Lowering it slowly, he stared into her eyes with resentment.

     "You horrible tokage." In spite of these words, he couldn't help but notice her eyes. They gleamed metallic silver, and no Irken had ever been known to have silver eyes. Penetrating deep into his thoughts, he felt uncomfortable and shifted in his seat. "Do you have a reason for being here? This is a _human_ colony. The likes of you are not welcome."

     "I was born after the invasion. I can't help what species I am. I hate the Irkens just as much as you do."

     "Have they killed your entire species and rendered you planet-less?

     "If they killed my species, I'd be happy about it. I don't like the Irkens, remember?"

     "Well, you know what I mean."

     "No, I don't. Perhaps you should explain it in more detail."

     "I don't have to talk to you."

     "Then why are you?"

     "Just go away."

     "I feel for you."

     "You're just saying that to trick me."

     "No. I have no reason or motivation to trick you."

     "Prove that you are on our side."

     "How should I do that?"

     "Cut your hand off."

     "Which one?" His eyes opened wide at this. That was not the reaction he expected.

     "Whichever one is your knife hand."

     "All right." Kiana unsheathed the Lizaq holding it in her left hand; then she traded it to her right. "As you probably know, the Lizaq can only work if one wants it to work. I must truly desire to cut my hand off for me to do it. You'd better shield that book of yours. It'll get messy." Putting her hand on the table, she began to saw through her wrist. She yelped out in pain, but did not stop. Blood seeped out and stained her glove and the knife.

     "No, wait, stop!"

     "Don't you want me to prove my loyalty?"

     "You've done that already. Now go get that healed."

     "Okay." The knife absorbed the blood and looked as though it had never been used. Pressing the tip to her wound, her severed wrist joined back together.

     "You're a Kivoc, aren't you?"

     "Yes, I am."

     "There aren't too many of those around these days."

     "Yeah...if there were, the universe would be destroyed."

     "It would, wouldn't it?"

     "Look, I'm sorry about Earth being destroyed, but that's not really your only home planet."

     "What are you talking about?"

     "Your father was a Falen/Seraul hybrid. Your mother is, however, allegedly human. So you're half-human, one-quarter Falish, and one-quarter Seraul."

     "Irkens don't have hair. Why do you?"

     "I'm an Irken/human hybrid."

     "Any Falish in you?"

     "No...why do you ask that?"

     "I guess it's because of the eyes."

     "Oh. My father would have a fit if he heard you say that. He hates the Falish. I think they're nice."

     "How did you get those eyes, though?"

     "Dad says it's due to some kind of accident, but I don't think so. I think my mother was a Falen/human."

     "Do you have antennae under your hair?"

     "Yeah, I do. Wanna see?" He nodded. Parting her hair another way, she showed him an antenna.

     "Wow..." Dib felt the antenna and inspected it. Kiana squealed and pushed him away; he fell backward onto the table. "What was that for?"  
     "I'm not sure...It just doesn't feel right."

     "What's wrong with looking at your antennae? I've always been intrigued by the Irkens."

     "What about you? You look so strange...I mean, what are these things?" she asked, pointing to his ears.

     "Those are ears, Kiana. I hear with them."

     "How'd you know my name?"

     "I don't know...it just came out."

     "Interesting. I hear with antennae. I can hear conversations going on down the hall from here!"

     "Do you know much about Earth's history?"

     "I know it was inhabited by humans."

     "It's a fascinating planet. It has forests, and lakes, and oceans, and the bluest skies you've ever seen! Fluffy white clouds and yellow sunlight, rivers and...and most of all..."

     "What?"

     "Most of all...the plants and animals! Beautiful ferns, oaks, and willows! Livestock, fowl, and...people! It's such a wonderful place."

     "I've lived on Earth all my life, and that doesn't sound anything like it."

     "What is Earth like now? It can't be _that_ much different."

     "The area I live in is a metropolis. Buildings and factories are everywhere, and the parts that aren't industrialized are barren wastelands. Almost nothing lives there. That's in the northern regions, where the Phantom Wandering continues."

     "The Phantom Wandering?"

     "Yes. When a species is destroyed, their ghosts remain, haunting the place. Most of them stop after a while, but a few stay for decades or centuries. Now most of them are farther north than where we live."

     "It sounds desolate."

     "It is. I'm so sorry. The Earth you read about is gone."

     "I guess it is." He looked miserable, and she felt a little droplet of moisture burning down her cheek. She was crying.

     "I'm sorry."

     "It's not your fault."

     "Yes, it is! If I didn't exist, I...I...you would live!"

     "What are you talking about? I'm alive."

     "You won't be soon enough, and it's because I exist! It's all my fault!"

     "No, it's not. How could you think that?" He put his hand on her previously injured wrist, and the Lizaq glowed milky white. "What's happening?"

     "I don't know...it's never done this before!" They disappeared from sight and found themselves outside of Zim's base.

     "Where are we?!" Dib yelled out.

     "This is my house...what are we doing here?" They peered into the window, where they saw Zim pacing around. "That's my father." Before they knew what was transpiring, Zim opened up the door and pulled them in.

     "DIB?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

     "What? Dad, he's not dead! What are you talking about? And where's the Global Council building?"

     "Who are you?! Why do you refer to me as your father?"

     "Dad, don't you remember me? Kiana?"

     "You're not Mel!"

     "Mel? You mean Mom?" Zim screamed.

     "Who are you?!"

     "I'm Kiana. Your daughter. Your wife is a human called Terri, and she died a year before I was born. You genetically engineered me. Remember?"

     Dib whispered into her antennae, "Look at that calendar in back--it's dated twelve years ago."

     "Either Dad's become an eccentric historian, or we're in the past."

     "You!" Zim yelled, pointing to his daughter. "Tell Zim all that Zim wants to know!"

     "Uh...could you tell me a few things? First of all, how old is Mel?"

     "Thirteen, I think."

     "What about Dib's father?"

     "I don't know how old Professor Membrane is!"

     "No, I mean Dib."

     "Uh...I don't know. Twelve or thirteen, but he's dead now anyway. And good riddance! Mel was too attached to that filthy ika..." Dib punched Zim hard in the squeedily spooch, and he toppled to the ground. When Zim finally came to, they were gone, and he didn't remember a single thing.

     Kiana and Dib found themselves back in the library, and she gasped for breath. "Dib...in my hands, this Lizaq can travel through time..."

     "My father."

     "What?"

     "I can save my father."


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five: The Lizaq

     Kiana easily got permission to meet Dib Jr. in the library, but Gretchen would not allow any communications with Irkens or Mel. So, he had to sneak out at midnight and met her outside her door. Instead of meeting in the library, they headed for the park and planned underneath a bench.

     "So, what's your plan?"

     "What do you mean?"

     "You can't just go back in time and try to save your father's life without a plan! How did he die?"

     "Mom said that Mel killed him."

     "Oh, yes...that."

     "You knew?"

     "Yes. You see, being a Kivoc can sometimes do strange things to the mind. She thought she was relieving him of pain and suffering. She did it out of love for a friend. My mom _didn't_ see his pain."

     "But the soldiers said that he was screaming and pleading for his life!"

     "Sometimes the mind is distorted so that she hears and sees differently. She thought he was asking for death. It's just something that happens as a result of turning against being a Kivoc. She couldn't help it. She tried to kill my father, too, but was able to stop herself. The Kivocs are born killers, and when they rebel, it is taken out on their best friends. That's why I must succeed in destroying Irk, or else you'll suffer."

     "You consider me your friend?"

     "What else would I consider you as?"

     "I don't know...a weird alien."

     "You're funny. Now, what's the plan?"

     "We've got to talk your mom out of it. We've got to show her that he doesn't want to be killed."

     "That might save my mother, too, because she's taking a dangerous path that leads to killing. If we don't do something, she'll start slaughtering innocent people!"

     "We've got to do something, now!"

     "Okay. I'll think back to that time...just a little earlier than before..." She took out the Lizaq and closed her eyes in deep concentration. "Hold onto me. This may be a little rougher than last time." He gripped her arm tightly, and the knife began to glow milky white again. "Here we go." There was a flash of light, and they were in the middle of a desert landscape. "Where do we go from here?"

     "I think he died in a cave."

     "There!" Using her blade as a pointer, she indicated a cave that wasn't far off. "We must hurry! There's no telling how much time we have!" In spite of the heavy gusts of wind blowing opposite them, they sprinted forth in hopes of changing the future. "We're almost there! I see it clearer now!"

     "Kiana?"

     "Yeah?"

     "I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for being on my side."

     "Any time...friend." They paused for a bit, catching their breaths. Those eyes...they reminded him of something, but he couldn't quite place it. Like silver glass, they reflected the view as clear as a river.

     "Your eyes are really reflective."

     "So are yours."

     "What?"

     "The...eyepieces."

     "Oh, my glasses."

     "Mom wears 'em too."

     "Why don't we go on, now?"

     "All right." Within the next few minutes, they reached the cave and saw Dib--the one we know--pinned against the rock wall. He was ill and had a knife to his neck. Zim was in the background, telling Mel to stop; she would regret it later.

     "Mel! You've gone insane! Why are you doing this?! I thought he was your friend!"

     "I can't kill him. I just can't bring myself to."

     "Then get away! Come here! I'll help you. We've got to get out of here, though! The Irkens will be here any minute!" Kiana and Dib Jr. heard the vehicles coming, locked hands, and sped towards where Zim and Mel were. Irken, Falish, and Seraul troops filed in, blocking escape. Dib Jr. headed for his father, at this point in time about his size and age, and hugged him.

     "Who are you?" he asked weakly.

     "I'm your future son." Dib smiled, and his eyes closed. He was about to die of illness, and couldn't get up. Mel was rambling in the background, though the words were clear to her. She drew the knife she had retrieved from Dib's pocket, whispered goodbye, and poised to drive it into him. In a state of delirium, she mistook Dib Jr. for Dib, and he was killed instantly. 

     "NOOO! Dib, NO!" Kiana darted past the soldiers and picked up his fallen form. "Please be okay...no, you can't die!" Grabbing a dry branch, Mel stuck it into the fire, allowing it to catch and light up. Kiana had told her father everything about going back in the past, and Zim kissed her forehead before going to stop Mel.

     "Stop it! Stop it, now! Don't torch this ika! He might still be alive!"

     "No one's going to experiment on my friend!"

     "No one said anything about that! There must be some way to bring you out of this...unleashing of hatred! You're such a sweet girl!"

     "I must rid my friend of his pain." Zim tugged on her arm, but it didn't work. She could not be stopped.

     Beginning to lower the torch on Dib Jr. and Kiana's heads, Zim yelled out, "Kiana! The Lizaq!" Levitating it by the force of her mind, she brought it into her hand. Radiating from the weapon was a greenish luminosity. It changed into blue, then purple, red, orange, yellow, and green again.

     _'I have two options,'_ she thought. _'I can either keep this up here and protect us from being burnt to death, but Dib would die...or I can use this to heal Dib and be killed myself.'_ She brought it down on Dib Jr., but it didn't even scratch him. Instead, his wounds healed over, and he opened his eyes.

     "Thank...you..."

     "No problem." The moment Mel brought the torch down on Kiana, Zim pulled her backward. They landed on the ground together, and the branch fell out of her grip. Mel struggled against him, but Zim held her back.

     "Stay here! Mel, what will it take for you to listen to a word I'm saying? How much larger of a shock than finding out that we have a daughter in the future?"

     "I...I have a daughter?" she asked.

     "Yes. Kiana, meet your daughter, also named Kiana." Mel fell down, for her legs could not support her. Hugging Young Kiana, she forgot about what was happening and began to cry.

     "Kiana...Young Kiana...I am so sorry you must see me this way."

     "I understand, Mom. I am a Kivoc too."

     "Your eyes..." she said, "...remind me of someone. Someone I've seen."

     "Me too," Zim said. Dib also agreed. "But what could those eyes remind me of?"

     "I know," Mel said. "I know what her eyes remind us of. Her eyes remind us of death. We've all met it, but we've come back out of it. Remember that girl? Zim, you saw her walk into the path of that large machine. I saw her, too, and so did Dib."

     "Then you mean that your daughter is death?"

     "No! I'm just saying that her eyes remind me of death, but I don't know how she could get them."

     "The Falish have silver eyes like that. Do you have any Falish background, Mel?"

     "Not as far as I know."

     "The only way would be...oh, no. I am part Falish."

     "Mom," Kiana said, "I'm going to save Dib's father."

     "Okay. Thank you." They turned to Dib, who was getting sicker by the moment, and saw the little Irken girl lift the Lizaq and point it to his head. He lay still, and then began to stir. Mel helped him up, put her hand to his forehead, and noted that he had a regular temperature. "Are you feeling better?"  
     "Yeah...I was scared for a moment. I thought you were going to kill me."

     "I would never do that in my right mind. I just...I've suppressed my want to kill for so long...it came back this way. I'm glad you're alive."

     "Me too."

     "Zim, why don't we leave now? Children, you'd better get back to your own time." It felt odd saying that, considering that the people being referred to as children were about her age.

     "All right," they said in unison. Hugging their respective parents, they bid farewell to see them in the future.

     "I love you, Kiana," Mel said as her future daughter disappeared. "Hey, Zim, are you going to get us out of here, or what?"

     "What? Oh, yes, sure."

     "And Dib...as for you, you're going to live. I am happier than I can ever express."

     "Here. I want you to have this." He handed her the photograph of them at the skool dance, but she gave it back.

     "You'll need it more than I." Instead, he handed her the knife. "Thank you. Now I know for sure you'll never use it on yourself."

     "How could I do that, now that I know I'll have a son?"

     "You're right. I want you to have my Lizaq, though. Keep it out of my sight and out of my hands. Such a weapon holds too much for me. Take it." Accepting it, they said goodbye, and Mel disappeared, to awaken in her reality.

     "So, Zim...you say you have a daughter with Mel?"

     "Not yet...I have to take some of her DNA and mix it with some of mine. That's how the Irken system works."

     "Zim, could you do me a favor?"

     "What kind of favor?"

     "Could you...mix some of my DNA in?"

     "I guess."

     "Okay. Thanks." The soldiers, dumbstruck, made a path for them, and Dib ended up going to Fali and meeting Gretchen. When he discovered that she was neglectful, he gained custody of his son, who was named Dib Jr. After seeing what his name would be in the Old Language, it was still Dib, and he knew that his son was the one the prophecy told of.

     Mel unlocked the secret of space-time four years later when she was seventeen and returned to meet her daughter. She soon learned of the DNA trick Zim had played on Dib's request and moved to planet Fali. The two friends set up a school for paranormal investigation, which Kiana and Dib Jr. attended and got high marks. Their household was as loving as a family's and as casual as a couple of roommates living together. Earth was long gone, but not long forgotten, and the two children became ecologists who specialized in Earth. Zim was the ruler of the snack-planet and published a copy of Mel's diary, thus ending the war between Irk, Fali, and Seraul. The three species knew peace for centuries before an outside attack threatened and destroyed trust. If it weren't for the bravery of Dib Jr. and Kiana, their lives would've ended in misery and pain. It was a tragedy prevented and an infinite amount of horrible deaths averted for the good of all living creatures...or so they thought.

Author's Note: This is a lead-in for Part Three; it's really supposed to all be one story, but that would be too long for one story. Part Three will be up soon.


End file.
